Why I Haven’t Been Blogging
Where have I been?
You may have noticed that for the last month I’ve been MIA. I see other bloggers apologize for not posting, but I don’t feel like that’s necessary, because if I have nothing to post right then do you really want me to just throw some random crap up? No one wants to read that, and I sure don’t want to write it.
So it is without apology that I make my return to blogging, and with a new resolve. Over this month as the time dragged out and unexpected changes in my life made me doubt everything we’d been doing and working toward, I wondered if I was going to be a statistic, one of the many who give up on blogging before the first year is done.
See that picture? Normally I love that picture, a hidden self-portrait in a backyard Mexican work site. I used it for this post because it looks different to me now; I have been stuck in a box of my own creation, reflecting but not interacting. I wasn’t gone, just quiet, reading what others had to say about blogging, about satisfaction and professionalism and why they do what they do. I thought about what I wanted for my family and for my life, and how I wanted to get there.
Plus there has been some serious hot mess going on at my house and I hate to bring you down when all that’s on my mind is problems and crying on your shoulder. I’m all for communication, but whining is not what The Everyday Journey is about.
I started this blog because I love writing and sharing, and I wanted to let people in as we made the huge decision to move to Mexico and become travelers. I understand that blogging takes work, but I felt like blogging had to be this highly scheduled money-seeking takeover-your-life thing and I wasn’t sure I wanted to throw myself into such a sales pitch. Sales has never been my thing, it’s too…fake.
So I’m opting to listen to inspirational bloggers like Girl Gone Travel and AngloItalian who are advocating for more authentic approach. I’m going to focus more on honest writing and less on promoting, and while marketing yourself is good, paying for fake numbers just to look good on paper is too dishonest for me.
I still find the most inspiration in other families like mine, so I’m gleefully following posts like those of Goodie Goodie Gumdrop and Living Nomad Style as they transition to nomadic lives focused more on family closeness. If all these other families can find a way to do it, we can do it too.
It was people and posts like these that helped me realize that blogging is what I make it and I am free to write or not write, to share or not share, sell my soul or let it sing out. Over time I will continue to evolve and learn, and hopefully that will be enough.
Since my return from Mexico in mid-September there have been a series of transitions, some planned and some a surprise, and you’ll hear about them soon. It’s all part of the everyday journey. Some days I have wondered if I was on the right path, but I’m here now and all I can do is keep moving forward. I’ll share more of the thoughts that I’ve been lost in, and I promise I won’t abandon you again dear readers. I’ve made up my mind about that.
Here’s a preview of posts in progress:
A hard look at what we have to get done to get to Mexico (in just over six months!)
The disappearance of one of my daughters
How we’re changing our travel focus in relation to current events
Much overdo honoring of my nomination for not one but two Liebster Awards
When in doubt, rip out your kitchen
What worries me about moving and how I’m dealing (back-up plan anyone?)
Holiday season scramble
Plus I’m putting together a wish list if you’re interested in helping us out.
Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.
Ameila
Thank you for the mention, and so flattered to be an inspiration for your journey. I agree with Dale, “Pace yourself, don’t race.” The truth is, it’s not always the fastest approach, but it is the most rewarding on so many levels, and it establishes who you are as a person, not only in blogging, but in life. Build a brand that expresses your authenticity and true self, and you will never have to worry about protecting “the image”. Love this post. And welcome back!
When I started this blog it was all about writing and producing and hopefully bringing in some money to support us as we travel. It’s become more than that: I have talked to people who read it and think they can’t do this, and I want to show them that they can. It’s become important to be real and honest more than to sell because of this. I know you get it, thanks for the support.
I’m truly humbled by the mention in your post. Thank so much for that.
The most recent lesson I’ve learned is that the quality of your posts far outweighs the need for frequency in posting them. For the past year we’ve been posting between three to five articles a week and – believe it or not – it’s exhausting. We spent a lot of time working on the site only to see that with one post a week instead we still see the same numbers of traffic.
Pace yourself, don’t race. Write when you feel is right, when you feel that you’ve something worthwhile to say. You have a great voice in your writing that is best nurtured and concentrated to one quality post rather than ten mediocre ones. I just wish I’d listened to this same advice we were given two years ago.
Thank you. There’s so much pressure to perform and monetize and with our move to Mexico coming in six months I feel the need to be productive in a million different areas of my life at once. It will just take me some time to work it all out, and I’m glad there are still people reading when I do post.